I did the beta but forgot to check. Are elite specializations basically just another weapon toggle? Meaning as a Guardian, I could switch between Longbow and Hammer seamlessly?
Nope. Specialisations are allready in game. They had a different name (I think Traitline or something simular), but are now called specialisations. They are a set of 6 traits. 3 of them are set in stone, and the other three you can choose between 3 different types. You currently can choose 3 specialisation out of 5 possible core specialisations
HoT will introduce Elite specialisations. Those are a special type of specialisation. If you choose an elite specialisation as one of the three you have equipped, you gain access to a new weapon type, a new healing skill, 4 new utility skills and a new elite skill. It also changes your class mechanic (for example, a guardian gets 3 different virtues).
The new weapon type can be equipped if you want. If your class is capable of weaponswapping, you can do that too.
Arise, ye farmers of all nations
Arise, opressed of Tyria!
So if I want, I can weapon swap between Longbow and Hammer?
As long as you have the Elite spec slotted; Guardian is Dragonhunter, so in your hero panel, you’d go to where you set up your specializations (just another fancy word for passive skills) and make sure that Dragonhunter is set up in one of the 3 rows of specialization slots. Since Dragonhunter is the Elite Specialization, I’m going to guess that it won’t become available until level 80.
In case you are not familiar with the Specialization slots, I have attached a screenshot of my Guardian’s Specs. She’s only Level 51, so it’s not full yet, but you should be able to figure it out.
Since Guardian is one of the classes that allows for weapon swapping, you should be able to equip a longbow in one of your available weapon slots and swap between weapons like you would any other weapon, but only when the Dragonhunter specialization line is applied.
